A Hero's Journey
by Brianna Summers
Summary: Percy and Annabeth are grown up. Their twins, Jason and Chloe, are members of Camp Half-Blood. Jason is searching for his own identity. Chloe is trying to keep her brother from surrendering to corruption. And their parents are trying to keep them from getting killed while at the same time letting them discover their own fates.
1. Prologue

Okay, so maybe I've gotten hooked on Percy Jackson and the Olympians. And maybe I've read all five books. *shrugs* Maybe.

So this right here is the prologue to a new story.

I don't own PJATO, Percy, or Annabeth. I DO own Chloe and Jason. And the Michael guy. Though he doesn't really count.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chloe bit her lip and dipped her foot gently into the cerulean water of the lake. Nothing happened. Her ankle still hurt.

She sighed. Chloe wanted to have her father's way with water so badly. If she had had it, her ankle would have healed. But she didn't. And there wasn't a whole lot her dad could do to help her get it. It was either the power showed up one day, like with her father, or it didn't. And so far, it wasn't happening.

She heard feet rustling through the grass behind her and whipped around, knife ready to face whatever monster might try to attack. Fortunately, it was only a lean, willowy woman with steel-gray eyes and curly blonde hair. Chloe grunted, pushing her own straight blonde hair back from her shoulders, and focused her aqua eyes on her knife.

"You did well today, Chloe," the woman smiled. "I'm proud of you." The girl's focus didn't waver from the blade. "How's your ankle?"

"Fine," she replied tersely. "Stupid Michael," she muttered to herself, mentally cursing the boy for tripping her in the woods with an invisible wire.

The older woman navigated around pieces of Greek battle armor to sit down beside the girl. "So you didn't get the flag this time. I bet you will next week. Besides, I was watching you. You would have easily had that flag if he hadn't laid that trip wire."

"I need to be more careful."

The woman smiled warmly but regretfully. "Honey, that wire was invisible. There was no way-"

"It was a shock wire! They hum. They can't be silenced. I should've heard it. I should've-"

"Now hold on, Chloe. You can't always expect yourself to-"

"Annabeth! Chloe!" A deep male voice resonated through the woods, echoed by another male voice, slightly higher, and the whispers of voices through the trees.

"Over here!" The woman, Annabeth, called, waving her arm. "By the lake!"

Within a minute a tall, muscular, dark-haired man – followed by a boy who looked to be a twelve-year-old version of himself, minus the eye color – strode towards the lake, a panicked expression on his face.

"Oh, thank the gods. I thought you two were dragon food."

"Nonsense, Percy. All the dragons have temporarily vacated the area for capture the flag. You knew that. You just wanted an excuse to be worried." A scowl crossed the man's face.

"Bad news, Chloe," the boy piped up. "Apollo got the flag again."

Upon hearing this, the girl's face darkened. "Of course they did," she mumbled, standing from the bank and easily hoisting all of the armor back into place on her body. "C'mon, Jase. Let's go back to camp."

When the two were gone, Annabeth looked towards her husband, her face grim. "For their sakes, I hope either my mother or your father claims them."

"How do we know that they will? They're both their grandparents. There's a good chance they're fighting over who gets to claim them, if they even will."

She sighed. "I just hope it happens soon. Chloe is miserable, and Jason's not much better." She pursed her lips. "And have you heard some of the things the other kids call them?"

Percy shook his head. He wasn't sure he really wanted to know, but he could guess a few. And they weren't exactly nice.

"Maybe it's time we take matters into our own hands."

* * *

It seems so short . but the actual chapters will be longer. And there likely won't be author's notes for some. These things are tedious.


	2. My Son Has a Bonfire with Death

I don't own Percy, Annabeth, etc. I do own Chloe and Jason.

Enjoy~!

* * *

I'd always figured my (and Annabeth's) celebrity-like status at camp would give our kids some problems. I mean, we'd saved camp a half-dozen times – and the world, once. And lived to tell about it, though we rarely did. We'd lost a lot of friends that summer. It was painful even to think about, and that was half our lives ago.

Now we had normal teacher roles at camp, and mortal lives beyond that. (I mean, sure, we take three months out of the year to virtually disappear from our jobs, but the Mist is a powerful force. Mortals are easily convinced of things.) Annabeth teaches various things – a knife skills class, for one, as well as architecture for the surprising number of people who actually care – and I myself have taken on some classes, too. Swordsmanship, pegasus riding lessons, and I help guide any children of Poseidon (my half brothers and sisters) in controlling their water-manipulation powers, something I had to learn on my own. This class isn't big. In fact, it's normally one-on-one. Right now the only student I've got is Mina, a mousy fourteen-year-old. Before her was Natalie, though she graduated from camp a couple years before Mina arrived, and three years before that, Natalie's full sister Bridgette. For a couple of years while Natalie was still around, I had Marcus, but he got a big head, went on a quest, and got himself killed. Now, of course I'm sad to lose a half-brother, but honestly, I didn't much like the guy. Now that he's dead and Bridgette and Natalie have moved on, Mina is alone in the Poseidon cabin.

Well, sort of.

Ever since Annabeth and I turned twenty-four (I think it was that year) and found out we were expecting the twins (though at that point we thought it was just one baby), Chiron insisted we stay in a room in the Big House, where he and Mr. D live, during the summer. Before that, I'd been staying in the Poseidon cabin, and she'd been staying in the Athena cabin, and if we wanted to be alone we'd go into the woods or out to the beach. (Or to the bottom of the canoeing lake, thanks to air bubbles. Though the naiads could get annoying.) After the twins were born, they stayed with us until they were old enough to stay in a cabin. Chiron gave them a choice between the Athena, Poseidon, and "Guest" cabins (the Guest cabin is really the cabin of the undetermined, but nobody stays very long in that cabin because everyone's claimed by thirteen). Chloe demanded the Poseidon cabin, which was empty at that point, and Jason agreed with her. So Mina shares the Poseidon cabin with the twins.

But just because they live in Poseidon's cabin doesn't mean they're accepted by everyone. The Ares cabin, halfheartedly enemies of mine since Clarisse, whose legend has been passed down, seek to fight them every chance they get. Apollo, too, ridicules them. I've had to get in the middle of some pretty bad fights, more than once ending in my having to reprimand them while under the rhyming curse that's a favorite of the Apollo kids. "Chiron's going to have your skin/if your cabin you don't get within!"

The first time it happened, Chiron let the curse lie until I started trying to rhyme 'orange' and ended up just chanting 'orange' over and over.

Yeah, that was humiliating.

I've seen the twins, though twelve, become strong and capable fighters with all of the messy battles that go on between them. Chloe's an able contender with a knife she calls Telos, which means 'end', and Jason's doing well with his bow, Velos, which means 'arrow'. (A fitting name, I guess. Before you ask, a lot of our weapons have names. My own sword is Anaklusmos, which means 'Riptide'.) Everyone except Jason thinks it's funny that the twins' weapons of choice are so similar in name. I've trained both of them in sword fighting, but none of our weapons at camp seem to balance right in their hands. I could hand them Riptide and battle with a different sword, but I'm scared to after what happened the last time I let the twins play with it. I'm not really such a horrible father that I let my kids play with swords – really! – but I had Chiron enchant the blade so it wouldn't ever hurt them or Annabeth. Lamps, however, are a different story, and Annabeth will not let that one go.

Speaking of Annabeth, she's the one who found me, lost in my own thoughts and impaling dummies six different ways without thinking about it, in the arena.

"Back at it again?" she called, breaking my concentration. I turned to her, panting hard and drenched in sweat. "You've been down here for more than two hours."

"It's how I focus. You know that." I motioned with Riptide to the celestial bronze blade that always hung by her side. She walked closer, drawing the knife from its sheath, and in one quick motion, decapitated the dummy I'd just stabbed through the heart. I was standing right next to it, but I didn't move as she swung her knife. I knew it would be back at her side before it touched me. And it was.

"What did you mean earlier? You said 'take matters into our own hands'. Like what?" Her grey eyes focused on the dummy's open neck, stuffing overflowing.

"I meant, we need to talk to our parents." She sighed. I knew she knew what I meant. "Chloe and Jason are almost thirteen."

"And how are we supposed to talk to them?"

"How did we do it before?" I smirked. "We walk up to Olympus and talk to them."

"Look, Seaweed Brain," she hissed, "The last time we did that, the camp and our friends were in mortal danger and you just about got turned into a puddle of seawater. The gods only listened to us then because their immortal lives were on the line. I doubt they're going to listen to us now when the only thing at stake is two half-bloods' reputation."

I was a little angry that she'd put our kids down like that, but I knew she was talking from the perspective of the gods. And that she was right. Like usual.

"Okay," I grumbled. "So if that isn't going to work, what are we going to do about it?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. You brought it up, Seaweed Brain." Her face softened. "Now, I don't know if you've noticed, but it's past time for bed. The harpies won't spare you just because you're not a camper." I couldn't suppress a shudder at the thought of the bird-women. They'd caught a camper from the Nemesis cabin out after dark last year. Nobody ever spoke of him anymore. Reluctantly I followed Annabeth back to the Big House.

That night I dreamed. A lot of my nights here lately have been dark, dreamless voids of sleep, which is nice when you're used to having all sorts of scary visions when you're supposed to be resting.

This dream, though, was a spooky type of scary. It was in the woods – a small, remote clearing – and obviously at night, because it was dark. A chilly breeze crept through the trees. A small fire, situated between two figures, crackled blue. One of the figures towered over the other, draped in black robes so his face couldn't be seen. The other was a young boy, no more than twelve, with dark hair. It looked like me, but years ago. They were talking about something in hushed, serious tones. I listened closely.

"What you seek can be given to you," the shadowy figure cackled. "You will be as adored as Hercules. As travelled as Odysseus. As strong as Achilles. You will be great."

"What do I have to do?" As the mini-me spoke, his voice minuscule compared to the other's, I caught a glimpse of a person standing behind a tree, close to me but unseen by the two in conversation. With her lean build and blonde hair, she looked almost like Annabeth, but younger.

Then she turned towards me, and I saw her eyes. A jolt coursed through my body as I realized who the two kids were. This girl wasn't Annabeth. Annabeth didn't have blue eyes. Her hair wasn't straight.

Chloe's eyes, full of fear, stared into mine as if she knew I was there. Her lips moved silently, forming a single word –

Help.

I jumped awake. Annabeth was at the side of the bed. "Percy," she hissed, "where are the twins?" Her eyes were as wide as Chloe's had been.

"You had the dream, too?" Her face fell.

"Dream?" She squeaked. "No, I–Percy, the twins aren't in the cabin!"

I leapt from the bed, dashing out the window before she could stop me. I figured she'd yell at me, but instead she just followed me as I tore headlong through the woods surrounding camp. I let out a whistle as I ran, and moments later a black Pegasus barreled into me, sending me down to the forest floor.

"Ow!" I cried, hitting the ground.

'Sorry, boss.' Blackjack's voice manifested in my head. 'Whatcha need from a handsome horse in the middle of the night?'

"Chloe and Jason are missing," I explained, picking myself up as Annabeth caught up with me. "Do you know where they are?"

'Sure do, boss. I can hear 'em. Come on, climb up.' Both Annabeth and I did, hoisting ourselves onto Blackjack's back. He flew straight up into the air and galloped over the forest for a minute before plunging back down into the trees. 'They didn't hear us, boss. Just a trot, lope, and a gallop that way.' He flicked a wing in the direction we were supposed to go.

"Thanks, Blackjack."

'Sure thing, boss.'

I pulled Riptide, in pen form, from my pocket, but didn't uncap it. There was no need to draw extra attention to ourselves with glowing swords.

The robed figure seemed larger now. My son cowered in his presence. I could see Chloe, too, looking around helplessly just yards away.

"You can have everything you wish. The one thing you desire most." The tall shadow's voice rasped through the trees. "It's very dangerous, Jason. No one's ever done this before. But you could be a hero. You could have your own name forever preserved in the minds of half-bloods – not 'Jason, son of Percy Jackson', but 'Jason, hero in his own right'. I know you want it. You know you want it. Just tell me you want it, and we'll have a deal."

Jason stood up. He seemed to have grown, yet he was still small. A chill ran down my back as he began to speak.

"I, Jason, choose–"

"No!"

In half a second, Chloe had Telos at the stranger's presumed throat.

"I–I could kill you," she warned, her voice shaky. "This knife could kill you, what–whoever you are."

I could almost feel the stranger's grin, though I couldn't see it. "It wouldn't be in your interests, Chloe Jackson. I would just go right back where I came from."

Suddenly I recognized the voice. I stepped out into the clearing, uncapping Riptide. "Nico."

He turned, pulling his hood down from his face so I could see his wiry black hair and cold eyes. A rush of wind passed my face, smelling of death. Chloe stumbled backwards, landing hard on the ground. "Well, well, Percy Jackson. So good to see you, cousin."

"What do you think you're doing threatening my children, Nico?"

"Threatening? Me? I don't threaten, Percy. I merely make deals. And you are interrupting a particularly delicious deal that I have a feeling I was just about to close."

"Give it up, Nico. My son wants nothing to do with you."

He gave me a wicked grin. "Oh, but does he?" His eyes focused on Jason. "I think your son has his own opinion." And then he was gone.

Annabeth, from behind me, cursed in Ancient Greek before rushing to the twins. "What do you two think you're doing out here?!"

Jason fumbled over his words, his face terrified. "I–I–I'm sorry, Mom! I don't–"

She took him by the arm. "Forgetting this whole incident with the son of Hades, what possessed you to walk out of your cabin after dark? What if the harpies had gotten you? I was worried sick!" Then she was dragging him towards camp, only ceasing her chastisement to whistle for a Pegasus. Within seconds, Porkpie was flying them quickly back to camp.

For a moment, I stood there, stunned. Eventually I realized that Chloe was still behind me. I faced her.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I had to save Jason," she whimpered. "I heard him talking to that guy – Nico? They wanted to do something really dangerous, but I don't know what it was. So when he snuck out of camp, I followed him."

"You sent me that dream?"

"Sort of," she admitted. "I asked Juniper to help me contact you. She sent you a dream. I just... They sounded like they were talking about something really dangerous. I don't know what it was. Every time Nico talked about specifics, he would lean in really close to Jason like he knew I was there, listening."

I sighed. "Let's just hope he doesn't get into any more trouble."

And I whistled for Blackjack to take us back to camp, so that maybe Annabeth would stop harping about harpies (pun intended).

* * *

Review? please?

~Stormy


End file.
